Cause and Effect
by motionless6494
Summary: Hanji has some important news for Levi.
1. Cause

It was the third time his phone vibrated during his meeting that he politely excused himself. He had ignored her other calls because he knew she was calling about nonsense that didn't matter to him when he was working. He checked to see if she'd left him a voice mail of any sort. Nothing. She wanted his attention. What could possibly be so important that she had to call him during a meeting? She knew days in advance that he'd be busy at this time. Perhaps she was bored and was looking for someone to talk to… Well she was just going to have to deal with it for a few more hours.

Levi shook his head as he slid his phone back into his pocket and went back to his meeting. Unfortunately he'd just missed the end of it, not that he'd minded much. Erwin Smith, his boss had filled him in on all the small details before everyone had even arrived.

As all his fellow coworkers filed out of the room, Levi lingered in his seat and pulled out his phone again.

"We're grabbing lunch, you coming?" asked Mike, his closest friend since high school and his partner in crime.

"Nah, the wife is calling. But if you would have Jenna bring me a coffee that would be super."

"Can do, chief."

Once he was alone he dialed his wife's number and turned on speakerphone. She picked up instantly.

"Leeeeeviiiiii! Levi, Levi, Leviiiii!" she shouted into the receiver.

"Christ, Hanji. Chill out," he chided. "What's going on?"

"Negative!"

"What?"

"My test results, Levi. Keep up. I had my appointment today and the doctor said that my test results came back negative."

"Well that's really good, Hanji."

"You know what this means, don't you?" Before he could answer she went on excitedly. "I could go back to work! I could call up Moblit and let him know that whatever I came down with was just a false alarm and he could help me get my job back."

"Don't you think that you should wait until you're completely better first?"

"Well, yeah… I should. But once I do, we'll be having two paychecks coming in every week again. We can get out of this stuffy apartment and we could live like kings!"

"Hanji, I don't want you to worry about that. We're living quite well with only one paycheck. As nice as it would be to have a little more cash in our pockets, it's not exactly necessary in order for us to live well."

As he finished his sentence he glanced up to look through the glass doors of the meeting room, only to see two of his coworkers having what appeared to be an intense verbal argument. Several other employees were crowded around them.

"Shit. Hanji, I'm gonna have to go. Two idiots are about to fight and I gotta break this up before Smith gets back. Be good and don't give the neighbors a reason to complain. I'll be home around five."

"Okay, Levi. Go knock some heads. Love you!"

"Love you too."

As soon as Levi hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket he got up to break up the would be fight.

"Oi! Dumb asses!" he shouted at the two men bracing themselves for possible flying fists. They both looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Why do you think this is a good idea?" he asked now, suddenly calm. "I mean, are you two just that stupid?"

* * *

"I'm home," Levi called out as he entered their apartment. Hanji stuck her head around the wall of the kitchen and just smiled. Something was up.

"I'm making dinner, you hungry?" she asked as he set his keys on the table.

"A little. How was your day?"

"You know, with the news from the doctor and all."

"Oh, right."

"You're in a bad mood."

"Am not."

"Yes you are, shorty. I can sense it."

"Blow me."

"Maybe tonight, but I'm a bit busy at the moment. Could you mince that piece of garlic for me? I'm about to need it."

Without missing a beat Levi rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands and went to work.

"What are you making anyways?" he asked as he brought the cutting board over to Hanji.

"Red rice, beans, and chile relleno. I thought we could try Mexican tonight."

"Those are fucking huge," said Levi, pointing to the chiles on the plate near the stove. "And why are they black?"

"That's how you make this dish. You roast them until they're black and then you peel the skin from them. Speaking of, I think they're quite cool now, would you mind? Carefully though because they tear easy."

Levi rolled his eyes and began peeling the chiles. They fell into a comfortable silence until dinner was finished.

"What now?" he asked gently. His cold demeanor was beginning to dissipate. _Perfect._

"Well a kiss, for starters… Aaaand perhaps a Disney movie marathon tonight? Pleeeeeaaaaase?"

Levi crossed his arms as he leaned against the counter. "One or the other."

"Oh, that's not fair at all!" she complained.

"Life's not fair." There was a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"What do I have to do to get both?"

"Well I did say 'blow me,' so there's that option."

"I guess I'll have to settle for a kiss then," she said with a smug grin.

Levi pulled her close to him and closed the distance between their lips. It was a small kiss, but no less passionate than one of their more lengthy ones.

After dinner, which Levi had to admit he did enjoy, he granted Hanji's wish of having a Disney movie marathon. They started out with Mulan and when that was finished Levi got up to put on A Bug's Life.

"So, I have a question," said Hanji as she watched Levi put the Mulan disc back into it's case.

"If you ask me one more time if we can watch Cars, I will shove that fucking movie up your ass. It's the stupidest shit I've ever seen and I don't want to suffer through sex listening to you quote a fucking tow truck because you think it's funny and spontaneous. It is not fucking funny. It just kills the mood."

Half way through his rant she was laughing hysterically. "But you laughed at it once!" she managed to utter between her laughter.

"Because I was in disbelief that you actually quoted a fucking talking tow truck during sex."

She took a moment to finish laughing before she continued. "But, really, I have a legitimate question this time."

Levi crossed his arms in response.

"Do you remember that agreement we made like two years ago? About the thing?"

"Hanji, you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. Explain."

"You know, about us having kids?"

Levi was silent.

"How we weren't exactly going to try for one but we also weren't going to do anything to prevent one either? And that if it happened then that was that?" Hanji was beginning to find it difficult to look at Levi now that she'd finished her question.

"I-I remember," Levi stammered as he sat on the edge of the coffee table. He looked up at her, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he felt his mouth go dry. "Hanji?"

"I'm pregnant, Levi." she deadpanned.

His heart was racing. _Hanji, pregnant?_ It was definitely possible. She'd stopped being on the pill months ago when she got sick. And they only used condoms for the first year and a half that they'd been married. After that, they stopped buying them altogether. _That was when we made the agreement._

After a silent minute Hanji looked to Levi who appeared to be deep in thought.

"Levi…?"

He looked up.

"Are you upset?" she asked cautiously, hugging a pillow.

"I'm not upset. Just… in shock. Give me a moment here… I have to process this," he said quietly.


	2. Effect

Time passes and things happen. People come into this world just as much as they leave it.

Levi sat in his office quietly, shortly after he sent Jenna to retrieve his lunch. After a few minutes of silence there was a knock on his door. It was Mike.

"Hey, man," he said as he pulled up a chair at Levi's desk.

Levi greeted him with a nod as he continued writing something on a small notepad in front of him.

"What'cha writing?"

"A list."

Mike leaned across the desk to read Levi's writing upside down. He read the list aloud. "Wipes, diapers, onsies, socks, mittens, receiving blankets, formula-Why are you writing all this down?"

Levi glanced up from his list as he spoke. "Because I was dumb enough to believe that Hanji would have everything packed by now. She told me a week ago that she was completely ready, that once the moment came, all we'd need to do was grab the bag, our coats, and leave to the hospital. But I checked the bag this morning before I left and it's completely fucking empty."

"And you're writing this all down because…"

"Because once I have everything I'm going to call her and read off the entire list to her to make sure she knows exactly what to put in the damned bag. She's two days past due so it could happen any time now.

As if on cue, Levi's phone rang.

"Hanji, I told you I would call you as soon as I was done writing everything down."

"Oh, I know. Well I just want to know if you're almost done. I want to start filling this bag quite soon."

"So you do see my point. Good."

Hanji chuckled. "How's your day so far by the way?"

"Fine. Slow. Your's?"

"Good. I got the house cleaned up, my water broke, and I showered."

Suddenly Levi was having a coughing fit and Hanji could hear Mike's loud laughter in the background, along with the muffled sounds of him patting Levi's back.

"Get the fuck off me," he said away from the phone. "You're fucking joking right now."

"Going by the fluids I just got through mopping up a few minutes ago, no, I'm afraid not. Anyways Levi, please get here soon."

"I-I'm about to leave. Just… I don't know. Just be patient. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"I don't know if the baby has any knowledge of patience, Levi," she mumbled into the phone and promptly hung up.

Levi looked up at Mike who had a large grin on his face.

"I have to go," said Levi as he stood from his chair.

"Go and have a baby, man!" laughed Mike as he patted Levi on the shoulder.

"Uh… I'll call you when I can."

* * *

As Levi entered his home to retrieve Hanji, the car still running, he found her sitting on the floor in the center of the living room, surrounded by baby supplies. Her expression was frantic and scared.

"Levi, I don't know what to pack!" she cried.

"Don't worry about it. I'm going to call Mike and he and Nanaba will be here in a while and they'll pack-well Nanaba will do it, Mike's a dumb ass. She'll pack everything for you, and then they'll bring it to the hospital for us." He helped her up slowly and guided her to the door, stopping to help her with her coat.

Once Levi was driving, he fished for his phone and handed it off to Hanji and said, "Get Nanaba on Facetime and let her know that you're in labor and that you need her to do that favor for you. And don't forget to let her know where we left the spare key."

Time certainly seemed to fly by. In no time, Hanji was admitted to a delivery room. Levi was in the hallway just outside her room, checking his phone.

One missed call from Nanaba, One new voice mail.

"Levi, it's me. Mike and I packed everything into the diaper bag, including a couple things for Hanji-her toothbrush, hairbrush, contact solution and case, and even her glasses. Oh and a couple changes of clothes for her. We're on our way there now. And if you're not already in there with her, get-Hey! Give the phone back! Mike!"

"You can do it, Levi! It's just a little blood and guts." The rest of the phone call was the sound of Mike's obnoxious laughter, and Nanaba calling him an idiot.

When Levi went back to the room, he was greeted by an overly excited nurse.

"Welcome back, Dad!" she called out. "Remember, if you're gonna help out Mom, you've gotta wear the paper suit!" She reminded him of theme park cast member who took her job much too seriously.

"Uh, right," he mumbled.

"Oh, Levi, you don't have to be here," said Hanji as she lifted her head wearily from the large pillow.

"What?!" shrieked the nurse. "He's the Daddy, of course he's got to be here for you. He's got to be your moral support and hold your hand!"

"Really Hanji, I don't mind," he said quietly.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be grossed out."

"Four Eyes, half the things you do gross me out. How bad can this be?"

Levi had definitely underestimated the thrills, wonders, horrors, and sounds of childbirth. Not only were his ears still ringing from Hanji's shrill cries every time she pushed, but his mind was now filled with many images he'd never wanted to see. He could say he was traumatized, but then again he didn't actually have to pass a tiny human through his genitalia. He was just glad it was all over now.

After four and a half hours, Hanji was now peacefully asleep in her bed. Their newborn baby lay asleep on the cart next to her. Levi sat in his chair quietly, admiring his sweaty, exhausted wife, every now and then stealing a glance at their new baby.

"You know you can hold her if you'd like," said the nurse as she handed Levi a pacifier.

The nurse handed him the bundle of blankets and rosy cheeks, careful not to jostle it around. She stood back and watched as his mask slipped. His usual stoic demeanor changed from lightly irritated to slightly panicked, to hesitantly calm, to completely content all in a matter of seconds.

While Levi was distracted by the bundle in his arms, Hanji woke from her long nap. She lifted her head and was pleasantly surprised by what she saw. Without being noticed, she managed to take her her phone from the side table by the bed and she snapped a picture of her husband and their baby.

A few minutes later, when Levi was holding his own phone above the baby, trying to find the right angle for a quick picture, it suddenly vibrated. Soon his inbox was flooding with text messages and Facebook notifications congratulating him and Hanji on their new arrival. When he tapped on one of the notifications, he recognized himself in a picture capturing his expression just moments before.

"You little shit," he muttered as he looked up at her.

* * *

The morning that Hanji was allowed to go home, a nurse entered her room with a couple of papers.

"How are Mommy and Daddy?" she asked as she set the papers on the small table.

Both parents had dark circles under their eyes, but shared an equally pleasant smile.

"Today's the big day. I come bearing birth certificates. Has baby got a name for me to write down?"

Hanji looked to Levi and nodded slightly. "Petra Amélie," said Levi.

"A strong name for a strong girl," said the nurse as she wrote the name. "I'll be back in a bit with more things for her. Diapers and formula and such."

Once they were alone, Hanji scooted to the side on her bed and patted the empty space next to her. Since Petra was fast asleep at the moment, they decided to take advantage of the silence. Levi climbed onto the bed and curled himself around her.

He knew this moment wouldn't last forever, but it was definitely at the top of his list of best moments. They were perfectly content and not a thing could change that.

Except maybe a crying baby.


End file.
